A Monstrous Alliance
by Viridian Dusk
Summary: Ch 8 summary: Abe's fate, a mystery man, and some tension between the monsters. Dr.C/Susan, light HB/Liz. Rated for gore, language, and mild sexual themes. On Hiatus.
1. First Contact

**A/N: With this story, I am finally breaking my three year silence. This will be the first story I have ever posted here on , but I've been writing for years. I truly hope you enjoy this story. Without further ado, I present **_**A Monstrous Alliance**_**.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Hellboy**_** or **_**Monsters vs Aliens**_**. They belong to Guillermo del Toro and DreamWorks, respectively.**

The B.P.R.D. special agents were following Thomas Manning and a short general through a depressing, steel facility. None of them were happy to be there, especially not Hellboy; but since they had nowhere else to go, they trudged silently down the maze-like hallways. Armed men stood guard at every door, marched about carrying out unknown orders, or paused to stare curiously at the newcomers. Earlier, Hellboy had tried to pick a fight with a young corporal who he'd caught staring at his horn stubs, but Abe managed to rein him in.

They were in this situation because of yesterday's events. Area 51 had been destroyed in a battle between the special agents and an entity similar to Godzilla, who had wandered in from the Jersey shore. They had been forced to relocate while their own facility was rebuilt, and the government higher-ups had decided to send them to the lesser known Area 52. The government had also, of course, blamed the team for the entire incident, saying that they should have been able to lead the beast back to the sea. How could they, when they didn't even know what was happening until it had crushed half of the facility anyway?

Eventually the group was led to a large blast door. The short general called out an order to an unseen soldier, and the door slowly opened. As they stepped into a truly humungous white room, they saw five peculiar beings eating lunch. The first was an enormous woman with blue eyes and white hair, poking at some yellow mush with a proportionately large spoon. She sat towering above the others at her own giant table. Below her at a second, much smaller table was a blue blob with one red eye, dissolving a hunk of ham in its gelatinous body. Beside the blob was a sort of fish-ape, who bore the same resemblances to Abe as a gorilla does to a human. The fish-ape was munching a plate of fish in front of him, spitting the bones onto the dish. At the far end of the table was some kind of human-sized insect, dressed in a lab coat and turtleneck, chewing on a broken teacup from a pile of garbage on his own plate. In a far corner of the room was a 350 foot tall butterfly lapping up a dish of sugar water. In all, they made up a bunch at least as strange as the agents themselves, if not stranger.

"Listen up, monsters!" the short general yelled, "I've brought you some new friends. They're from the legendary Area 51, which was destroyed by a creature the government has named 'Dinozilla'. They're technically homeless right now, but they'll be staying with us until the government can rebuild."

The monsters looked up from their meals as the short general spoke, and warily eyed the B.P.R.D. agents, sizing them up, trying to figure out what to make of them. Well, all of them except for the blob, who just grinned happily at the prospect of new friends. Manning turned to address his team.

"Agents, because we have moved this means that some of the rules have changed. You will not have the same responsibilities as you did back at the Bureau; the 'Dinozilla' incident has convinced the government to give you all a 'monster' status. While this means no more filing reports, it also means you will only be sent on missions if the world is actually in danger rather than just keeping paranormal activities a secret. You also can't leave the facility unsupervised. This means you, Hellboy," he added, earning him a glare from the red demon.

"Right now, about rooming arrangements; Hellboy, you're with B.O.B. Abe, you'll share a tank with the Missing Link. Liz, you'll be rooming with Ginormica, and Johann, that leaves you with Dr. Cockroach. We'll leave you to get settled in with each other," said the short general as he and Manning walked out of the room. Before anyone could protest, the blast door slammed shut and the pair was gone.

The monsters at the tables exchanged glances, then looked back to the agents. The insect man was the first to speak. Clearing his throat a little nervously, he said,

"Well, I suppose a _proper_ introduction is in order; General Monger has a habit of giving out as little information as possible," The other monsters got up from there seats as he said this, and arranged themselves in a sort of line. "I am Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances, I'm sure." After saying his piece, the good doctor took a step back and the fish-ape took his place.

"Wazzup, I'm Link, and I'm the baddest monster around. Check this out!" The Missing Link attempted to do a back flip, but halfway through there was a loud cracking sound and he fell to the floor. He stood up, massaging his lower back.

"Nobody saw that," he growled as he stepped back in line. The blob oozed up next.

"Hi, I'm B.O.B.! Will you guys be my new best friends?!" he asked eagerly. "We'd have _so_ much fun, I just know it! We could go sky diving, and play 'house', and stay up late, and eat breakfast for dinner, and-" He was cut short by Dr. C.

"Take it easy, B.O.B.," he said gently. "B.O.B.," he continued, "is literally brainless. You'll have to excuse him, as he really doesn't know any better. Watch this." The doctor made a motion like he was throwing something and yelled, "Go get it, B.O.B.!" The blob eagerly chased after nothing, and struck up a lively conversation with the remaining fish on Link's plate when he couldn't find what the doctor had thrown for him.

"Whoa boy," grumbled Hellboy as he remembered who it was that Monger had said he'd be rooming with. The introductions continued as the giant lady knelt down to the agents.

"Hello. The government changed my name to Ginormica, but I'd really rather that you called me Susan. That loveable ball of fluff in the corner is Insectosaurus. It's nice to meet you all," she said with a smile.

"Now that you know who we are, why don't you tell us about yourselves?" Link suggested dubiously.

The agents were silent for a moment before Abe responded to the question.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Abraham Sapien, though you may call me Abe. I also go by Brother Blue, and Manning sometimes calls me 'Fish Stick'."

"Geeze Abe, you sound like you're at an AA meeting. My name is Hellboy. If you want to, you people can call me Brother Red or Sexy Beast." The demon said with a mischievous grin. He got a few raised eyebrows from that comment, but everyone held their tongues. Liz spoke up next.

"My name's Elizabeth Sherman; call me Liz. Don't piss me off or I'll set you on fire." To emphasize her point, she willed a ball of flame to curl around her fist for a minute before letting it sputter out.

Finally, it was Johann's turn. He clomped forward a bit and stated, "My name is Johann Krauss. Ve should all get along chust fine after Achents Hellboy and Sherman cool off some; zey're pretty upset about vhat happened to ze Bureau."

There was a bit of an awkward silence once the introductions were over. After a moment, Susan said, "So, um, do you guys want to see where you'll be staying?"

The agents muttered things such as 'sure' and 'alright' before breaking off into pairs and following their new roommates to their quarters.


	2. Small Talk and Big Revelations

"So, this is our room, huh? Not much in the way of decoration. Or furniture. Or anything, really," Hellboy commented drily as B.O.B. led him into the barren cell.

"Aw, I'm sure they'll move _some _things in here. I don't really need a bed or furniture because I just ooze right off. I heard that when Susan moved in, they gave her a cute poster with a little kitten hanging from a tree on it. Do you think they'll give _you_ a poster, Sexy Beast?" asked the blob.

"Oh wow, a poster. Excuse me a moment while I find a container for my joy."

"Okay, Sexy Beast," B.O.B. said with a smile.

_Wow, this kid really is brainless. I thought it was just an act._ Hellboy sighed and said, "That, my friend, was sarcasm. And stop calling me 'Sexy Beast'; it was a joke. Besides, it sounds weird coming from another guy," Hellboy paused and looked at the gelatinous mass before him. "You _are_ a guy, right?"

B.O.B. didn't notice his question. Instead, he replied with, "Where's Sar Chasm? Is it like the Grand Canyon? And what does 'Sar' mean?"

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_ "No kid, not Sar Chasm, _sarcasm_. It's where you say something you don't mean in a way that people know what you really mean. So when I said 'excuse me a moment while I find a container for my joy', what I meant was 'I'm going to be really ticked off if they give me a friggin poster'. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I see. That's stupid. Why not just say what you mean?" B.O.B. asked.

"Because sarcasm is more fun. Besides, sometimes saying what you mean can get you in trouble," muttered the demon, "So, what do you do for fun around here?"

"Well, I usually play cards with Link or bounce that ball against the wall," B.O.B. said, gesturing at a red ball in the corner that Hellboy had somehow managed to miss, despite the emptiness of the room.

"Huh," Hellboy said as he searched for something else to say. After a moment he said, "Want me to teach you something that's _actually_ fun?"

"Do I ever!" cried the blob.

* * *

"Welcome to the Bachelor Pad!" cried Link as he dove into the tank that almost completely filled his cell. In one corner of the room was some weight lifting equipment. In the other corner were a few magazines and an old Gameboy Color that the Doc had repaired and given to him, along with a few game cartridges. Among them, Abe could pick out Pokémon Yellow, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Tetris; the rest were either missing the labels or half hidden beneath the magazines. On top of everything was a deck of playing cards that bore the Area 52 logo on them. Hung on the far wall were some pictures of his rampage, taken a little more than fifty years ago.

Abe knelt down, dipped his finger in the water, and tasted it; he wanted to make sure it was fresh water instead of saltwater. Saltwater would begin to bother his eyes after a while, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep in it. Fortunately, the water was fresh and even the slightest bit sweet. Pleased, the _Icthio Sapien_ gently eased into the tank.

"This is a nice room you have here, but I noticed you don't have much in the way of reading materials," Abe said, swimming up to his roommate.

"Yeah, I'm not really a big reader. Anything longer than twenty or so pages and my mind starts to wander. That's why I have all those magazines; the articles are only two or three pages at most," the fish-ape replied. "Why, are you one of those bookworm types?"

"Yes, you could say that. I read several books a day, usually at the same time."

"Damn… how do you managed that?"

"I have a unique frontal lobe. It allows me to read the histories of objects and people by touching them. It also means that I'm very good at academic pursuits and multitasking," Abe explained with a bit of a smirk in his voice.

"Hmm. You'd probably get along really well with the Doc then. …Hey, does that mean could you read my mind if you wanted to?" asked Link, sounding a little worried.

"Yes, if I _wanted_ to."

"But you'd need to touch me to do that, right?"

"Not necessarily. I can pick up on _some_ things just by being near you."

Link gulped. "Like what?"

"Thirty years ago you had a fling with the Invisible Man. It was a one night stand, and neither of you ever mentioned it again. You were both drunk from the champaign that Monger had allowed you all to drink that New Year's Eve. You've never told anyone, and you've never had a homosexual thought since."

Link just stared at the fish-man beside him.

* * *

"It's not much, but it's much better than when I first got here," said Susan as she sat down on her giant bed.

Liz looked up at her. "Um… hey, do you think you could…?" she asked, gesturing upwards.

"Oh, right, of course!" Susan gently picked Liz up and set her down on the bed beside her.

"So what was it like when you first got here?" Liz asked her.

"I had this bed, and that poster over there that says 'Hang in there!'. That was all."

Liz looked around and noticed that besides the poster, Susan's room contained a large, potted sunflower with a UV lamp. Next to the poster there were also several pictures; one of her parents, three of her trip to Paris with the other monsters, and one very large one, almost a poster itself, of Susan and Dr. Cockroach. The doctor sat on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek while she rubbed his head with her index finger. Liz noted that it still wasn't much more than what Susan had started with.

"So, you and Dr. Cockroach…?" she started.

"Yup!" Susan said with a grin.

"How does that work, exactly?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how would he… and you… you know?"

Susan blushed. "Well, we haven't really gotten there yet. And even if we had, the Doc is brilliant; he'd find a way," she said, blushing even redder.

"Right…"

"Well, he's been working on a way to make me small again. Temporarily, anyways. He says that when he's done, I should be able to switch sizes at will. We'd probably wait until then,"

"Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense."

"What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

"Red and I have been seeing each other off and on for the last few years. I ran away for a while, but he chased me down and brought me back. He never gave up on me, no matter how many times I tried to give up on myself. I love him unconditionally, and I'm proud to be carrying his children."

"Oh? Sorry, but from up here I couldn't tell that you were pregnant. Congratulations!"

"Thanks. They're twins; we're going to call them Vanessa and Stephanie if they're girls, Andrew and Timothy if they're boys. At least, those are the names _I_ suggested; Red doesn't think anything sounds right. But, we'll talk about it some more and figure it out."

* * *

"Welcome, to my humble abode! Over there is the toy box, where I keep spare materials for my inventions. My desk is over there, and you are welcome to use it as long as my files stay organized; I'm putting together a computer right now, so I can transfer them onto it and free up some room. Over there is the bed. Hmm… it seems they haven't brought in another… But, I don't mind sleeping on the floor until they do. In fact, I sometimes sleep _under _it. Just some of my cockroach genes, I suppose," the doctor said, rambling just a little bit.

"Zey von't be bringing in anozer bed, doctor; I don't sleep. Sank you for ze offer, howefer."

Dr. Cockroach looked up at his roommate and studied him for a moment. "Of course not, how silly of me. I'm sorry, I should have realized-"

"Don't vorry, it's fine. I did not explain my condition, so zere is no vay you could haf known."

"No, no, I should have noticed. I'll try to be more sensitive about such matters in the future."

Slightly taken aback, Johann said "Vell, sank you for zat, I suppose. In return, I vill try not to keep you up all night."

"I'm up working most nights anyway, so that won't be much of an issue. As long as I get a few hours a week, I'm fine. Another perk of being part insect." Dr. Cockroach said as he began straightening up. He picked up several books from off his bed and put them neatly on the small bookshelf in the corner that wasn't occupied by his toy box.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you come to be part cockroach anyvay?"

The Doc's antennae twitched. Finally, he sighed and said, "I'll tell you my story if you'll tell me yours."

Johann said nothing. He stayed quiet for so long, that the doctor began to wonder if he was alright. Finally, Johann spoke up. "…It vas a séance gone wrong; I don't remember much off vhat happened. Ze spirit I vas contacting vas too strong. I lost my body… und I lost ze voman I lofed."

Immediately, the doctor regretted making him share. Johann may not have had a face, but Dr. Cockroach sensed he would have been about to cry if he had. It was obviously still a painful subject.

"I'm sorry I asked. It must have been hard."

"It vas. But, it's in ze past. Zere's nozing I can do about it now. So vhat about you? Vhat's your story?"

Dr. Cockroach sat down on his bed and looked at his feet. "I had been working on a way to give humans the abilities of cockroaches. I thought that if we were stronger, not to mention damn near invincible and immune to the effects of an atomic bomb, then perhaps people wouldn't need to fight anymore. It may seem like those qualities would make the ultimate super soldier, but after a while we'd realize that we couldn't kill each other anymore and war would cease to exist. Finally, on September 12, 1967, I reached a breakthrough; a machine that would give a human a cockroach's abilities. I wanted to make sure it worked, so I tested it on myself. As you can see, it wasn't as perfect as I thought," the doctor said, gesturing at himself.

"…Zat's terrible."

"It was. After I stepped out of the machine, I passed out. When I woke up, I was here. They'd told my family that my lab had burned down, and I with it. They wouldn't let me go back for my research so I could fix myself."

"Vhy not?"

"Because. I was deemed a monster and a danger to society. They brought me here, and locked me away… all I wanted was peace…"

"Vait a moment. You mean zis is a prison?" Johann said with a combination of surprise and disbelief.

"Yes. Isn't it obvious? We're in the belly of a secret facility, with guards at every door, confined to just this set of cells and our common room. We're only allowed out if the world is in danger, and the only reason our conditions aren't harsher is because three years ago, we kept the world from being taken over by a psychotic alien. It was the first time I'd seen daylight in about fifty years. When they first brought me here, I had a bed and that was it."

"You mean ve're trapped here?"

"Pretty much, yes,"

"I'fe got to tell ze ozers."

**A/N: Sorry for not updating. A long chapter, huh? Six and a half pages on MS Word. I think this one is a good mix of humor and drama, and hopefully you all think so too. I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes, it's about 2:30 am here and I'm pretty beat. Please review to tell me what can be done better, or just to tell me your thoughts on the story so far. Love to all, Virdi.**


	3. Gloom and Doom

Meanwhile, back in the common room…

"Hey Liz, guess what! You're fat, and _really _ugly!" called B.O.B., oozing up to the girls with a huge grin on his face.

"What!?" she cried willing fire into her hand, "How dare you! I'm gonna-!" she cut off abruptly, engulfing the blob in flames as he turned his back towards her.

B.O.B.'s gelatinous body began to bubble and boil under the intensity of her flames. There was a smell of burning plastic in the air, and despite the huge bubbles now bursting all over his body, B.O.B. just sat there, staring off into space. He saw Hellboy walk out of their cell and slid over to him, still on fire.

"Hey, has it gotten warmer in here?" asked the oblivious blob.

"I have a new game for you, kid. It's called 'Stop, Drop, and Roll'. Want to play?"

"Sure! What do I do?"

"Stop what you're doing, drop to the ground, and roll around. Okay?"

"Okay!" and with that, the Brainless Wonder began to roll around on the floor. "Woohoo!" he cried, but the others ignored him. Hellboy walked over to his flaming girlfriend.

"Sorry, babe. He really didn't mean anything by it. I was explaining sarcasm to him, and apparently he didn't understand as well as I thought he did. What he meant was something along the lines of, 'Your pregnant belly is, uh… amazing because you can, er… sustain life within your womb and um… you're smoking hot, too'," explained the demon. Liz looked unimpressed.

"He actually called me 'Sexy Beast'; he really doesn't know any better."

Liz rolled her eyes and sighed, but let her fire go out. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I guess I just don't have any patience left, between yesterday's battle and moving here. I need to relax…" the fire-starter mumbled into his chest.

Red hugged her with his normal arm, tucking her head under his chin as he did so.

"It's been stressful for all of us, babe. But if I can put up with _that_-" he gestured to where B.O.B. was still rolling around, having the time of his life, "then you can get used to being here while they rebuild the Bureau."

Just then, Link walked out with Abe close behind him. The fish-ape was decidedly pissed off about something, and maybe just a wee bit…scared?

"Does _anyone_ want to trade roommates?" he shouted across the common room.

"I said I was sorry. Besides, even if someone wanted to trade, I need water to be able breathe for longer than a few hours," said Abe as he trailed behind his new roommate.

Hellboy and Liz disengaged from their embrace. The demon crossed his arms and said,

"He read your mind, huh? So what's so bad that you can't share a room with him?"

"N-nothing!" Link stammered, "I just don't like the idea that he knows what I'm thinking."

"Guys, can't we all just get along?" asked Susan. Despite being around fifty feet tall, everyone else in the room seemed to have forgotten her presence.

"Only if this yahoo promises to stay the hell out of my mind!"

"I cannot help it if you think rather loudly."

"Oh, I think loudly, do I? Well how about this? I _think_ you're a butt-ugly, uptight, know-it-all jerk with no respect for others' privacy!"

"And you're an unrefined, smelly ape with no cultural education and a disgusting obsession with young ladies in swimwear."

"Oh yeah?! Well _you're_-"

"Before you insult me again, keep in mind that I know your darkest secret, and that I will feel no guilt in blackmailing you."

That shut Link up immediately. He stood there for a moment, mouth gaping, his face full of shock and anger. He turned, stormed off to his cell, and slammed the door. Abe allowed himself a small smirk before turning to join the others.

Everyone just stared at him. Normally, Abe was a calm and centered fellow, choosing to take the high road in most conflicts. But insults? Blackmail? This was a side of the _Icthio Sapien _that nobody had ever seen.

"Damn, Abe. I've never seen you quite so… intense before," said Liz, looking at Abe with slight amazement.

"Like I said, babe; everyone's stressed," said Red with a chuckle.

"After Manning yelled at me yesterday, you told me I needed to stand up for myself more, that I didn't need to take that from him or anyone. That's what I did."

"You practically bit his head off, Abe… I should go make sure he's alright. I hope your friends are right, and you're not normally like this; otherwise, you're going to make some enemies here," said Susan with a bit of a scowl as she walked over to the fish-ape's cell. She knocked twice and there was a pause. Then she called, "It's me, Susan," and the large door opened. The giant woman ducked her head, shot one last glare at Abe, and walked carefully into the almost-too-small cell.

"…I feel so ashamed," Abe murmured.

* * *

"I'fe got to tell ze ozers," said Johann, almost in shock because of what he'd just found out.

"I know how you feel, Dr. Krauss. It's not easy being told that you've just moved into a prison," Dr. Cockroach said, a little bitterly.

"Please. Call me Johann. …I don't suppose zhere is any vay to escape from zis facility?"

"No. We've all tried several times, but we fail miserably. The closest _I've_ ever gotten was when I crawled up the wall and out the air vent, ending up on the roof. A helicopter spotted me as I was making my way down the side of the building, and after a week and a half of interrogation they decided to start spraying most of the walls with a non-stick coating. After that little misadventure, they threatened to do… horrible things to me if I tried to escape again. So I gave up; even if I got away, they'd just hunt me down and capture me again. They'd do the same to any of you."

"Hmm… Achent Hellboy vill most certainly try to escape. As for Achents Sherman und Sapien, once zey find out we're in a prison zey're going to vant out."

"I think that maybe I should tell them. I realize that they don't know me very well, but I've been here the longest. I have been through so much, had to undergo so many horrific things… they'll listen to me. They'd be fools not to."

"Should I call zem in here, or vould you prefer to address zem out zere, in ze common room?"

"I'll talk to them in here, if you please. My things are all fire proof, and I noticed that Miss Sherman has a rather… explosive temperament."

* * *

All of the B.P.R.D. agents were seated somewhere in the doctor's cell. Hellboy and Abe were both sitting on the bed, while Liz swiveled back and forth at Dr. Cockroach's desk. Johann stood in the corner beside the bed.

The Doc cleared his throat. "I don't really know how to say this gently, but you are all in a prison, designed especially for monsters. If we try to escape, they hunt us own and do…" Dr. C got a distant, haunted look in his large, amber eyes. His antennae began twitching again, and he started shaking, ever-so-slightly.

"Do what?" asked Abe quietly.

The doctor snapped out of it and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Actually, you don't _want_ to know what they do to us. Just… please, for your own sakes, _don't try to escape._"

Red chuckled drily and said, "Whatever. I should be dead several times over by now, yet here I am."

"Y-you don't understand. Obviously, they don't kill us when they catch us; but what they _do_ do to us is much, much worse."

Suddenly, Abe gasped and clutched his head. He began trembling, as the doctor had moments before, and he fell down on the bed. He made odd little noises, as though he was trying not to scream. At the same time, the Dr. Cockroach got that distant, haunted look in his eyes again.

"Oh my God! What the- what are they-? NO! Oh, my God," Abe cried, almost sobbing, "No. Sweet mother of- please! No more! Make it STOP!"

At that moment, the Doc snapped back to reality again. Abe jerked on the bed, and his eyes shot back open violently. There were tears running down his face as he slowly sat up.

"What in the hell just happened?!"

"Achent Sapien! Are you alright?"

"Abe…?!"

The others all looked at him anxiously, except Dr. Cockroach who was just recovering from the episode himself. Abe looked from one of them to the other, slowly coming to terms with his surroundings. He then looked at the doctor with a mixture of sorrow and sympathy in his eyes.

"Hello? Blue! What the hell just happened?!" Hellboy asked again.

The _Icthio Sapien _ignored him. He addressed the good doctor instead.

"That was a flashback I just witnessed, wasn't it?"

"Probably so."

"…W-was that a-?"

"Yes. It was a vivisection. They laid me out on the cold, metal table, injected a local anesthetic, and sliced me open while I watched helplessly."

**A/N: Ooh, now the story's beginning to get intense! Will Abe and Link stop fighting? Will B.O.B. ever get the hang of sarcasm? And, just **_**what**_** in the hell is going on at Area 52? Find out next time in chapter four! R&R, please! Love to all. ~Virdi**


	4. Flashbacks and Nightmares

I wake up and I open my eyes, but I can't see; the room is pitch-black. I'm aware of an intense pain in my leg and a slightly duller one in my arm. I don't know where I am and I don't remember how I got here. My mind is cloudy, so I can't think properly. All I can do is continue to lay where I am.

Suddenly, a bright light comes on and for a moment I am blinded. When the spots clear from my vision, I see that I'm in a large, white room. There are cabinets lining one wall, each one big enough that I could hide inside one if need be. There's a metal table in the center of the room, with trays of dangerous-looking instruments beside it. An overhead fixture provides additional lighting above the table. A sense of dread fills me as I realize that this is an operating room. I know I need to get out of here, but I'm still too weak to move.

A panel slides out of the ceiling and a television monitor lowers into the room. The screen plays static before showing the image of a silhouetted man sitting in a chair. There are no windows or landmarks to give me a clue as to his location.

"That was quite a stunt you pulled there, Doctor, crawling out the air vent and down the side of the building," said the silhouette. I didn't recognize the voice, but I could tell that the audio hadn't been tampered with; I simply didn't know this man. He paused a moment before continuing.

"It really is a pity that a helicopter spotted you and shot you off the wall."

That explained it then; I'd been shot in the leg, and broken an arm in the fall. I was beginning to remember what happened now.

"You can't keep me here; I have a family! My daughter and nephew are going to wonder where I am. I'm all they have left in this world, and they're too young to be able to survive on their own," I pleaded with the unknown man. He chuckled darkly before saying,

"You've been here three months, and you still believe there are people on the outside looking for you? Ha! For such a brilliant man, you truly are a fool. No, when we brought you here after the incident, we told them that you had burned down with your lab. They're in foster care right now, slowly being brainwashed into thinking that you never existed."

"You monster!" I cried, finally finding the strength to stand. The pain in my leg was now excruciating, but I ignored it.

"No, Doctor, _you_ are the monster!" snapped the silhouette, "You're a wretched pile of filth and waste, an abomination of nature, and you don't deserve to exist! You're lucky we even keep you alive!"

"If I'm such a monster, how come all I ever wanted was peace? I've never hurt anyone but myself with my experiments!" this man was really starting to bug me, no pun intended.

"You lie, I know you do! Aarrgh!" he completely lost it for a moment. After he regained some composure, he said, "Normally we'd wait until you were dead to do this, but in light of recent developments I see no other choice. We don't know what else you can do, and we need to find out before you hurt more people."

"BUT I'VE NEVER HURT ANYBODY!" I roar at the screen. I exert myself too much, and nearly fall to the ground again.

"Enough! Men, do what you will!" he called as the screen went black and retreated into the ceiling once more.

Three men came out of hidden doors, each one dressed in surgeon's attire. They made to grab me, but I pulled free. I stumbled, still weak and injured, but I managed to stay upright and ran to the other side of the room. One of them ran ahead of me and cut me off. I swerved to the left and tried to go the other way, but the other two had me on either side; I was surrounded. I put as much distance as I could between me and them, but it was no use. They were closing in fast. The first one grabbed my injured arm and I cried out in pain. The second grabbed me by the shoulder, but I was able to twist around and punch him in the face. He went stumbling backwards, but quickly recovered. The third one came up and swept my legs from under me, holding on tight despite how I kicked at him. The second one grabbed my other arm, and they carried me to the table, kicking and screaming.

They wrestled me down onto the table; I was quickly growing tired. I kept trying to fight, but each blow was weaker than my last. They first locked one wrist into a cuff, then another. I kicked out one more time and caught one of them in the ribs. I heard a crack and knew I had broken at least two. He howled and ran out of the room, doubled over. However, the other two took the opportunity to strap down my injured leg, leaving me able to move only one limb. I knew I had lost, but I kept fighting anyways. I kicked out one last time, but this time the first surgeon caught my leg and forced it down into the final cuff.

I was now completely strapped down, but I still kept trying to break free. I screamed and spat at the two remaining surgeons, snarling like a madman; so much for my "I've never hurt anyone" plea.

The two men left my line of sight. I heard a rushing of water, and new they were washing there hands in preparation. My rage was replaced was terror as I heard their footsteps draw near again. I felt myself shake and heard myself whimper as I was able to see them once more.

The first surgeon looked at me, a sinister twinkle in his eye. He said, "Not so tough now that ye're on the cuttin' board, are ye?" He laughed, as he put on a pair of rubber gloves. I jumped each time I heard them snap against his skin.

The other one came from somewhere behind me with a pair of scissors. He stopped at the foot of the table, and laughed insanely. He began to cut my lab coat and turtleneck off of my body, exposing my chest and stomach. I flinched every time the cold metal of the scissors brushed my skin, which made the surgeons laugh even more.

"Well, lookee 'ere," said the surgeon with the scissors after he had removed my clothes, "'e's got some armory scales on 'is chest, 'e 'as!" Indeed, I did have patches of cockroach carapace scattered down my shoulders and chest. I vaguely wondered if they'd be able to slice through them or if they'd have to cut around.

The other surgeon merely grunted as he took a large needle and injected a local anesthetic into my torso. At least I wouldn't feel anything, I suppose. I felt tingly as the chemical numbed the muscles. He then picked up a scalpel and began to create an incision from the top of my sternum down to just below my navel. I registered the pressure, but felt none of the pain; thank God for small miracles. I had been doing well up until that point, but then the surgeon peeled back the flaps of skin he had created.

I lost it. I began shrieking in sheer terror, struggling against my bonds once more. I jerked and bounced on the table, trying to break free, screaming and swearing to the Heavens.

"'Ey! Ye'll bleed ou' if ye keep on like tha'!" yelled the second surgeon over my wailing. He was right; my blood had splattered everywhere while I had been thrashing about. I suddenly felt very lightheaded. However, desperately not wanting to die, I calmed back down and allowed them to continue poking around at my insides.

I tried my hardest not to vomit as they pulled out an intestine and examined it. I was shaking, but not so much so that they'd slip and accidentally kill me. Next I watched them pull out some bloody mass that I can only assume was an organ. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. These men were covered in my _blood_, literally pulling my guts out. I couldn't take it anymore; I passed out.

* * *

"Dr. Cockroach! Are you alright?"

The doctor was shaken awake, not knowing where he was. He yelled, "Leave my intestines alone!" before realizing he was 'safe' in his cell. Johann was the voice that had woken him up.

"You had a nightmare, ja?" asked the Austrian.

"Y-yes. It was only a nightmare. Johann, I think I'm going to go talk to Susan," he said, still shaking a little.

"Alright. Achent Sherman is vith Achent Hellboy, und B.O.B. is sleeping in a corner off ze common room, so ze two off you should be able to talk in prifate."

"Right. Thanks."

"Sie sind willkommen."

* * *

"Psst. Hey. Susan, it's me," whispered the doctor, so as not to wake the sleeping blob in the corner, "are you still awake, my dear? Please let me in."

The huge door opened just a touch, enough for the bug-man to slip through. He skittered up the bedpost and came to a stop on Susan's knee.

"Hello, Susan."

"Hey Doc. Are you okay? It's awfully late…"

"I know, my dear, and I'm sorry. I… I had another nightmare."

"What was it this time?" she said, her voice full of sympathy.

"It was the vivisection again."

She carefully plucked him from her knee and placed him up on her shoulder. He grabbed a hold of a lock of her hair and wrapped it around himself like a blanket.

"It's been more than fifty years… I don't know why it's still affecting me like this."

"You probably have post traumatic stress disorder. If something like… _that_ isn't traumatic, I don't know what is. I hate to say this, doctor, but I think you need some counseling."

"…Talking to you about it has helped. I think it was just what happened earlier, when Abe picked up the memory. It brought it up to the forefront of my mind, that's all."

"Are you telling that to me, or are you telling that to yourself? What if it had nothing to do with today, and you just can't let go of it?"

The good doctor sighed. He picked at his nails for a minute before answering. "Even if I did get counseling, I'd never be able to just 'let go' of something like that. It's _going_ to haunt me forever, and I _will_ have nightmares about it until I die. They've been getting fewer and farther between since you came here."

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing."

They sat together in silence for several minutes. Dr. Cockroach relaxed a bit, and allowed himself to become absorbed in the warmth that Susan always seemed to radiate. Eventually he said,

"I'm so glad they haven't done anything to you, my dear; I'm not sure I'd be able to take it if they did. I'd lose it, and they'd probably kill us both…"

"We're not going to go anywhere. I can squish anyone who tries to hurt us, and if I missed some then I'm sure you'd zap them with some raygun you made out of duct tape, mirrors, and bendy straws."

"I'd also need a titanium spork, to conduct the energy properly," he said with a half-hearted chuckle, "The only reason I haven't built a raygun yet is because _nobody_ throws out a titanium spork."

"Well, we don't need to be invincible; unstoppable but with minor injuries will do just fine," Susan said with a smile.

He laughed, then gave out a loud yawn. Susan gently laid back down on the bed, and once she had settled the bug-man curled up by the base of her neck. He pulled another lock of hair around himself, and it was like that that they fell asleep.

**A/N: Yeah, this is the chapter that made me change the rating. I hope y'all enjoyed it. About the surgeons' accents… yeah I have no real reason for that. I just did it because I could. Anyways, R&R please! Love to all. ~Virdi**


	5. Tarnation

**A/N: I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to update. Final Exams are next week, so I've been spending a lot of my free time studying. Regarding onewithnothing's review, I probably will have Susan squish a few people. I was thinking of putting it somewhere in the middle to create drama. When I write that chapter, I will dedicate it to you, hon. :D Now, without further ado… the next chapter!**

* * *

The alarm bell rang to wake the monsters. Hellboy rolled over on the small bed that had been provided… and right onto the floor. Grumbling, the red demon sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around for Liz, but remembered she had went back to her own cell around four in the morning. He was so used to sharing a room with her that it was weird not to wake up next to her.

He put his clothes on and went out into the common room to meet the others. Everyone was over by the huge main door, gathered in a sort of lopsided oval. He could hear Manning shouting something about outrage and injustice, but that was nothing unusual. The demon made his way over to Liz and said casually, "Morning babe. What's going on?"

She didn't need to answer him however, because Manning did it for her.

"Welcome to the land of the living, you big, red ape. I got a frantic call from Fishstick last night, saying something about me leaving you in a prison and going on and on about somebody being cut open. Of course, if _you_ had called I would have ignored it, but your friend over there is actually trustworthy."

"Hey! I'm trustworthy!" Hellboy said with fake hurt in his voice.

"Well _I _don't trust any of you! I'll admit that this facility was meant to be a prison, but nobody's ever been 'cut open'! I take good care of all my monsters, and if anybody tried I'd tear them a new one and then fire them faster than they could say 'Hooah!'. So why don't you go back to your prissy little apartment back in New Jersey, and stop wasting my time!" shouted Monger, the vein in his neck popping.

"'Nobody's ever been cut open'! Pardon me, _General_, but just how do you explain _this _then?" demanded Dr. Cockroach angrily, tearing off his lab coat and pulling his turtleneck over his head. There was a long, grisly scar running down the center of his torso from his collarbone, splitting his navel in two and disappearing below the waistline of his trousers.

Everyone gasped with the exception of Susan because she'd seen it before, and Hellboy because he was used to stuff like this.

"What in tarnation!" exclaimed the general in disbelief.

"Tarnation indeed! Do you know what they did to Link? They injected him with all kinds of toxic things, just to see if he'd survive! And B.O.B., bless him, they can't actually hurt him the way they can us, so do you know what they do? Since he has no brain, they'll occasionally take him from his cell in the dead of night, and they'll alter his personality. He'll come back a completely different person, say and do some terrible things, and then a week will go by and he won't remember a thing! The Invisible Man was their favorite to mess with, because nobody could ever tell when he was gone. He never told us what they did to him, but he didn't die of a heart attack; oh no, he somehow got a hold of a cyanide pill and _killed himself_! And that's not all of it either! I could fill a book with all the experiments, tests, and tortures they've put us through! Horrible things go on in this facility, Monger, whether you know it or not, and I'll bet you anything you want that they'll do the same thing to Hellboy, Abe, Liz, Johann, …and Susan."

The atmosphere in the room was an uneasy one after the good doctor finished his rant. There was an awkward silence, but finally Manning said, "This is unacceptable, General. Completely inexcusable."

"Damn right it is! Manning, you and me are going to get to the bottom of this. We'll find out what's going on and we'll put a stop to it!" vowed General Monger.

"Thank you sir. And Godspeed," murmured the doctor.

Monger walked to the door, Manning following half a step behind. Before he left, the general turned and said, "Doctor, put your shirt back on. You've proved your point."

"Oh! Erm- yes sir." Dr. Cockroach hurriedly put his turtleneck back on and buttoned up his lab coat.

"Good man, Doc." And with that, the two government officials left the room.

* * *

Breakfast had cooled considerably during all the commotion. Disgusted, Susan pushed the cold porridge away from her. _I'll wait until lunch…_, she thought glancing around the room at the others.

Hellboy was complaining that he only had a bowl of porridge instead of his usual cart of food. Liz poked at hers, not entirely trusting that it wasn't poisoned after the Doc's stories. B.O.B. sat there, only needing to be fed once a day. Johann had gone back to his cell since he didn't eat. Link was angrily tearing the heads off his fish and spitting the bones onto the plate. Abe ate without speaking.

She noticed her sweetie halfheartedly nibbling some plastic packaging. _He's been so worked up lately. I wish I knew how to make him feel better; nobody deserves what he's been through._

The doctor sighed and stood up.

"B.O.B., you can have the rest of this if you want," he said as he walked to his cell.

"Oh boy!" cried the blob as he slithered up to consume the rest of his friend's breakfast.

* * *

"You're vorried." It wasn't a question. Johann could tell because he'd worn that same expression often, a lifetime ago.

"Why shouldn't I be? It's only a matter of time before something happens, especially now that they've got new meat. Do yourself a favor, friend: prepare for the worst. Don't expect anything to go right while you're here."

"Heh. On our adfentures, nozing efer goes right. I stopped expecting zat long ago."

"Well, at least they can't take you by surprise then, I suppose."

"…If I may, vhat ozer kinds off sings did zey do to you?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," said the Doc, squeezing himself under the bed.

"You vant to be alone?"

"Yes please, if you don't mind. Turn out the light on your way out."

* * *

"He's hiding under the bed?" asked Liz.

"Vith ze lights turned off. He _is_ part cockroach."

"I don't blame him. The last twenty-four hours must have brought up several horrible memories for him. The despair, anger, and fear coming from the cell are almost making me feel dizzy," said Abe.

"He'll be fine, guys. Just leave him alone for a while. He was the same way when Frankie died; he'll be good to go in a few days," Link assured the others.

"Frankie?" asked Hellboy with a smirk.

"The Invisible Man."

"Oh. Gotcha."

"I don't know, Link. I'm really worried about him. Besides, he's probably right; nothing's happened to me since I've been here, but now with the others they're sure to make a move. It's just too good an opportunity to pass up," said Susan.

"Zat's chust vhat he vas saying vhen I left him. He seems more vorried about ze rest off us instead off himself."

"Well of course he is. Out of all of us, he's been here the longest; he's been through the most shit and he probably knows exactly what they'll do to most of us," Liz reasoned.

"Hey guys! Whatcha doin'?" asked B.O.B., gliding up to everyone.

"Oh, nothing B.O.B. We were just talking about our trip to Paris," Link lied, not wanting to upset his friend. Everyone quickly dispersed.

B.O.B. gasped. "We went to Paris?"

"Yes B.O.B. I have pictures in my room if you wan to see them."

"Okay!"

And so they went to Link's room to look through photos. The common room was now empty. Unknown to the monsters, a man in shadow was laughing maniacally many miles away.

**

* * *

**

A/N II: Sorry for the short chapter. I know where I want the story to go, it's getting there that's the problem. But, I knocked out one of the major scenes in my head, so it's all good. I hope you guy's liked this chapter. Please R&R. I'm going to bed now. Love to all. ~Virdi


	6. Who's the Quack Now?

**A/N: Hey guys. I know it's been a long time, and I'm sorry, but I've had a lot going on in my life lately; I won't bore you with the details. At least I'm back now, and I really hope this next chapter makes up for it. Enjoy! : ) **

* * *

Manning followed the general down several twisting corridors, and he was quite lost by the time they reached their destination. This facility was so much bigger than what he was used to. _Government probably just gives _them_ more funding…_ he thought somewhat bitterly.

The two men arrived at a large laboratory, filled with all sorts of machines, computers, and other expensive-looking equipment. Young men and women bustled from place to place, scribbling on clipboards, while older scientists fiddled with chemicals and machinery. Nobody seemed to notice when they stepped through the cautionary blast doors.

After waiting several moments, Monger cleared his throat rather loudly. The three nearest interns looked up in surprise and nearly dropped their clipboards. The bravest of them took two steps towards the men, and shakily asked, "May- may I help you, gentlemen?"

"You most certainly can, young lady. We need to speak to whoever's in charge here. _Now,_" Manning said with a meaningful glare.

"Y- yes sirs, right away sirs!" stuttered the frightened girl before forcing herself not to run to a middle aged man towards the back of the room.

Monger looked over at Manning and sternly caught his eye.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"…No scaring the interns in _my_ facility. That's my job," the general replied.

The middle aged man and the intern walked back towards them. The girl's knees were visibly knocking as they approached.

"You don't need to stay, Roxanne. Go back to your studies." said the man, who was presumably the head of the science department.

"Yessir," she mumbled, then she was out of sight.

"Gentlemen, if you'd like to accompany me to my office? It would be far easier to talk there, without the lab noise." _And without scaring the bejeezus out of my students,_ the head added in his mind.

Without a word, he led the government officials to the only adjoining room in the laboratory. The head's office seemed overwhelmingly tiny after the space of the lab. The walls were a soft cream color, with a poster quoting an old sci-fi movie hanging on the west wall, beside a large filing cabinet. On the other side of the room was his desk, a mess of papers and books blanketing the entire surface. On the wall behind the desk were several degrees and certificates made out to a "Dr. Rufus P. Ellington, Ph.D.". A small paper bin lay knocked on its side in the corner.

Dr. Ellington took a seat behind his desk and motioned for the two men to sit in the chairs in front of him.

"So, what was it you both needed to talk to me about?" he asked, twiddling his moustache. Manning decided that the doctor looked a lot like Theodore Roosevelt.

"The monsters have been telling some wild tales lately, and due to recent evidence I'm inclined to believe them," the general began, being vague as usual.

"Oh? What sort of tales?"

"Cockroach says that people have been experimenting on them for decades. He describes it as deliberate torture. Whether he's exaggerating or not, these 'experiments' have been going on without my knowledge or my orders, and I want to know just what the high-flying-Hell is going on,"

Ellington stood up from his chair, any hint of amusement gone from his face.

"Gentlemen, I can assure you that we've _never_ touched any of the monsters, not that we haven't wanted to. None of my colleagues would dare go near them unless you gave the okay. Just what 'recent evidence' do you have that you'd come to me with such wild accusations?"

At this point, Manning rose as well, with Monger a half a second behind.

"What proof do we have? At exactly one o' clock this morning I got a phone call from a hysterical fish man going on and on about someone being cut open. He claims he 'relived a flashback' from someone else's memory!" cried the director.

"Did he now? And how do you know that he's telling the truth?" asked Dr. Ellington, going on the defensive.

"Because an hour ago this one stormed into the monsters' common room to talk to Agent Sapien, and called me down to yell at me about it. This then led to _twenty minutes ago_, when Cockroach tore off his shirt to reveal a massive scar, the likes of which I ain't seen since 'Nam! He then started yelling about all kinds of horrors that he claims you lot have been doing to him and his friends since the nineteen fifties!" Monger spat.

"And just what kinds of things are we supposed to have done to them? Have they been brain-fried, electrified, infected and injectified, vivisectified, and fed pesticides?"

"All those things exactly! I knew it!"

"Relax, Monger. He's quoting a song from _Ferngully._"

"I guess it's not such a bad thing that you're a pansy-ass after all. Thank you _so_ much for your knowledge of gay musicals about saving the rainforest," the general said sarcastically.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Manning muttered, "I have a niece."

Speaking up again, he continued, "Anyways, this is serious, doctor. If you don't tell us what's going on-"

"I already told you, we have nothing to do with it!" Ellington cut in, "The thing about mad scientists gentlemen? They tend to be _mad_. The old quack probably gave _himself_ that scar by botching an experiment; most likely exploding something or another. I would read too much into anything that bug-headed buffoon says."

At that moment, something in Monger's mind snapped. He got a crazy twitch in his eye and wore a snarl upon his face. He practically leapt at the doctor and screamed, " First of all, you will never, _ever_, call Dr. Cockroach a quack in front of me again! We owe him and his monster friends our lives for saving the planet from alien takeover three years ago, or had you forgotten? Show some respect, damn it! Second of all, 'mad scientist' just means he's unconventional, which he has to be with the shit materials he manages to get a hold of. Hell, his 'mad science' is probably what keeps him sane in here! I would trust him with my life. Thirdly, if I have to hunt down the son of a bitch who's been hurting my monsters and do to him what he did to them, I will! Now if you happen to be said son of a bitch, fess up now and I promise to kill you quickly!"

Both Manning and Dr. Ellington were slightly cowering away from the ancient, grizzled general. Another moment of silence passed, before Monger shouted, "Well?"

Both men flinched at the sound. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ellington stepped forward again and said, "I'm sorry, General Monger, but I really don't know who's been doing this. All I can tell you is that I'm not involved."

Monger glared at him in silence again before saying, "Fine. We'll go looking elsewhere. But if we find out that you or anybody who works for you has lied to us, I _will_ take you away from here and I _will_ do horrible, unspeakable things to you. Now get outta my sight, you sniveling dog."

"Um, sir? Uh… this is _my_ office."

"Then hide behind the desk until I leave, dumbass!"

"Yessir," said the doctor, getting down on his hands and knees and crawling into the space under his desk that was meant for his chair.

"C'mon, Manning." the general growled at the still stunned director. All Manning could do was mutely follow the older man out of the room before he slammed the door behind them.

Everyone in the laboratory noticed their entrance this time and they looked up with frightened faces, having heard Monger's muffled bellowing through the walls. Everyone at the facility knew the and feared the general's infamous temper; none of them ever wanted to be on the wrong side of it.

"What the Hell are you all looking at?" he snapped. Everyone immediately went back to what they were doing as the two men walked out of the laboratory and headed back down the twisting corridors.

**

* * *

**

A/N: And so ends chapters six. I really don't know how Dr. Ellington ended up so much like Robin Williams. First I make him look like Roosevelt, then I make him quote Batty; both of whom are played by him. Weird. 0.o; Anyways… please leave a review if you liked the chapter, or if you think there are some things that I could have done better. ...This seemed much longer in Word. Love to all! ~Virdi


	7. Eight Days a Week and The Whirpool

**A/N: Hey guys, I know it's been a while. I had writer's block for the longest time, then school started, and now AP Language is kicking my ass all over the place… I'm pulling a "B" though, so that's good. Anyways, I've thought long and hard about how to do this chapter, so I hope y'all guys enjoy it.**

* * *

Doctor Cockroach woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around, still on edge from his dream but unable to recall what had happened. The room was dark, but it didn't matter because of his heightened low-light vision. He glanced over at a clock he had reassembled and powered with a potato that someone had thrown away, despite the fact that it was still good; it had been about four hours since Johann had left him alone.

A quiet knock sounded at the door; he quickly decided that that was what had woken him. He skittered out from under his bed and went to the door.

"Doc, are you awake? It's me, Susan. I want to talk to you."

The doctor opened his door and Susan poked her head through. It was a tight fit, but she had done it hundreds of times before. She couldn't see much in the dark room, but she could just make out the bug-man in the sliver of light that she didn't block out from the common room.

"Oh my goodness! Doc, you look terrible! Are you alright?" asked Susan, the concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fine, my dear. I just haven't been sleeping well lately. …I'm so afraid that they're going to hurt you, or the others," the doctor began to turn away when the giantess stopped him.

"We're not going anywhere," she stated boldly, "so you should stop worrying about it. They can't do anything to me without getting squished or punted halfway around the world, and the agents from the Bureau have survived far worse than anything I've heard you mention. Heck, they've saved the world countless times, from dangers greater than an alien invasion, _and_ managed to keep the general population from finding out a thing! They're like the Men in Black, that crew," she finished with a touch of admiration.

The good doctor gave a weary smile at his lover's optimism and determination. He knew her well enough to know that she wasn't entirely convinced of what she was saying, but he appreciated her effort to put a brave face on things for his benefit. He went over to her and, standing on his tiptoes, placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

"I know dear, but whoever's been doing this to us is wily; they'll find a way around everyone's defenses eventually, and when they do, they'll strike. I just want you to be careful, alright? If anything happens, call for me. Tell Monger immediately if you notice something or someone suspicious. Promise me that you'll be on your guard, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

Susan withdrew her head from the doorway, replacing it with her outstretched hand. Knowing what she wanted, the doctor stepped into her open palm and she gently lifted him out of his cell and up to her eye level.

"Eight days a week, if that's what will make you relax. Let's go to my room, so I don't have to crouch down on my hands and knees."

Nodding, Dr. Cockroach crawled up to her shoulder as she walked across the common room to her own cell. She turned on the light, closing the door behind her. She picked up the doctor by the collar of his lab coat and placed him on her bed before taking a seat on the floor opposite him.

"You know, Susan, the reason I worry so much is because I know _exactly_ how they think…" said the doctor, staring at his knees.

"What do you mean?" she asked, eyebrows knitting together in puzzlement.

The good doctor sighed and continued to stare at his knees.

"Dr. Cockroach, _what do you mean_?" she asked again, this time a hint of apprehension creeping into her voice.

He stared at his knees for a few moments longer, and just before Susan was about to angrily demand that he tell her, he looked up.

"I know exactly how they think because this person is like a mad scientist gone wrong. They want to know how we work, but they're blinded by a sick hatred for us 'monsters' that makes them want to hurt us while they try to figure us out. They exact some kind of twisted retribution on us by performing all of these painful and grotesque experiments, laughing when we squirm and scream.

This person believes we're abominations, evil creatures without souls, so vile that death is not good enough and they must torment us in the most horrible ways they can. They keep us alive partly to cause us more pain, but partly because they want to know everything we're capable of. They say it's to 'keep us from hurting innocent people", but it's really to exploit everything they find out about us; think of it as customized torture.

The reason I worry so much is because that's the dark side of mad science. That's what happens when insanity takes over, destroying all humanity left inside a person."

"I still don't understand how that means that you know exactly how they think. You're not insane, like they are; you're brilliant, and kind. In fact, you are the most wonderful, amazing person I've ever met," Susan stated softly. The doctor let a sigh of pleasure escape him as she absentmindedly twirled one of his sensitive antennae around her finger. However, he caught himself and fell back into his dark mood.

"…Once, a long time ago, before you were even _born_, I teetered on the brink of that same insanity, though I was strong enough not to let it consume me. I've been there before, and it allows me to think like they do. I know exactly what I would do to each of you if _I_ were them, and that's what terrifies me. I'm not up all night guessing and wondering at the things they'll do; I'm up living through every gruesome detail in my mind, wishing and praying that it won't happen and they'll leave you all alone. The known danger is not always easier to face than the unknown, Susan dear," the doctor had to stop there, because he was all choked up and couldn't continue.

A lone tear rolled down Susan's cheek at the sight of her love shaking with fear and sorrow. She wished she could comfort him, but she didn't know what to say. _What _do_ you say to something like that?_ she wondered. Instead, she gently lifted him from the bed and cupped him to her chest. He was crying steadily at this point, and she shushed him, telling him it was going to be okay and rocking gently from side to side.

When he could cry no more, Dr. Cockroach looked up at Susan. The lone tear was still on her cheek, and he scampered up to wipe it away with a lock of her hair. He didn't like the idea of her crying because of him. They both smiled, just a little bit, and the doctor made his way back down to the bed and over to her pillow. She lay down beside him and said,

"No matter how bad things get, they could always be worse. They could certainly be better, but they could always be worse."

"I suppose you're right, my dear. Besides, if something's going to happen, it's not as though we can change it or keep it from happening," he replied, "It looks like we're just going to have to go with the flow for a while. Until we have more information, at the very least."

He curled up in the crook of her neck, as he'd been doing every night for the past few months. Pulling a lock of hair around himself as a blanket, he snuggled against her warm skin and breathed in her scent. The two were fast asleep in moments, untroubled by nightmares for one night at least.

* * *

Abe swam restless laps around the tank he shared with Link. He still couldn't get over what he'd seen in the doctor's flashback.

When he'd first arrived at the Bureau, some of the government agents working there had wanted to simply kill him and dissect him, not yet knowing of his psychic abilities. In his first few days, he'd often had dreams in which he was watching over his own dead body, watching men dressed like surgeons remove this and classify that. In his waking hours, he'd often overheard people talking about what they should do with him. If it hadn't been for Red and the Professor, he probably wouldn't be here today.

He supposed that seeing what had happened to Dr. Cockroach had reminded him of those dark first days. He kept swimming laps, hoping to clear his mind. It wasn't working very well.

Above him, on the side of the pool, Link and B.O.B. were still discussing Paris. The blob kept reciting memories of things that his other teammates had done there, much to Link's annoyance; you can only tell someone so many times that it was, in fact, _Susan_ who had hooked up with the Doc before you wanted to throw them across the room. Abe reflected on how useless it was to try to have a meaningful conversation with B.O.B. while silently being glad that it wasn't he who had to try.

_I wonder if Susan's had any luck in talking to Dr. Cockroach, _the _Icthio Sapien_ thought. _Those horrible feelings have subsided some, but they're definitely still there. He seemed so helpless and forlorn, the poor guy; almost the way I felt after Nuala- _

He couldn't allow himself to think about that; it still hurt him too much. The fish-man swam faster, and tried to switch his train of thought to something else. Try as he may, however, thoughts of the dead elf princess would not leave him alone. He'd kept things bottled up too long, and now he was glad that the tears he continued to shed for her just melted into the water around him.

Abe swam faster and faster around the tank, trying in vain to leave his emotions behind him. Eventually he managed to get a small whirlpool going, but he didn't notice. Up above, he heard Link and B.O.B. shouting, but he couldn't make out the words. Not that he cared at this point anyways.

He suddenly realized that he wasn't the one causing the whirlpool. He found himself being pulled in towards a black hole that had opened up in the floor of the tank. He tried to fight the current, but it became stronger the closer he got to the hole. He was about to be pulled in when he saw Link dive in and swim towards him.

* * *

"Gah, he can't hear us!" cried Link as he and B.O.B. watched the blue man being sucked into a massive hole that had appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"I can't watch this happen. B.O.B! Go get the Doc and Susan! _Now_!" and with that, the fish-ape dove into the tank after Abe.

As the bubbles rose away from his face, Link spotted his roommate struggling against the current. Not wasting a second, he sped towards him like a scaly torpedo. The _Icthio Sapien_ reached out for his new friend, still trying to escape the strong flowing water. Link was almost to him and had extended his own hand when Abe disappeared into the darkness. The fish-ape tried to go after him, but the floor closed just as he got there. He smacked his head hard against the floor and passed out.

* * *

B.O.B. oozed as fast as he could towards Susan's room, figuring she'd be the most likely to respond. He slipped under her door without bothering to knock and began yelling as loud as he could,

"SUSAN! SUSAN, GET UP! THE FLOOR'S OPENED UP AND IT'S SUCKING ABE INTO IT! SUSAN! SUSAN, COME QUICK! SUUUUUUUSAAAAAAAAAAANN!"

Susan awoke with a start, as did the bug-man beside her. She flopped out of bed, landing wide-eyed in front of the blob with Dr. Cockroach right behind her.

"COME _ON_!" B.O.B. shouted, sliding under the door again without waiting for a response. The couple spared a quick glance at each other before hurrying after their friend. The trio sped towards amphibians' cell. When they got there, they were greeted by a seemingly empty room.

"Link? Abe? Where are you guys?" called Susan.

"They must have been sucked into the hole in the floor! CURSE YOU, FLOOR!" B.O.B. cried.

Susan pulled out of the door and turned to look as everyone else came running. They brushed past her in rapid succession as they entered the room.

"Vhat is all ze commotion about?" asked Johann.

"Yeah, what's going on? Where's Abe?" Hellboy added.

"… They've got him," said Dr. Cockroach darkly, staring into the depths.

Link popped his head above the surface, having just come to.

"I tried to save him, you guys. I tried and I failed. Miserably."

The fish-ape turned away in disgrace.

"So that's it then? Those terrible people who've tortured you lot have gotten a hold of Abe?" Liz asked worriedly.

"Vhat do ve do now?"

"There's nothing we _can_ do. We can tell Manning and Monger, but other than that we just have to wait and hope for the best," said the Doc, antennae twitching in anger, fists clenched tight.

**

* * *

**

A/N: And so ends the long anticipated Chapter 7; I hope it was worth the wait. I was kind of evil here, giving you guys a cliff hanger. I probably won't be updating for a while either, so I guess that makes me double evil. However, I love all of my readers and hope ya'll guys can forgive me. Please R&R. Constructive criticism is appreciated; flamers will be shot. Love to all. ~ Virdi


	8. Trial by Fire

**A/N: Hoooooo-doggie! It's been **_**ages**_** since my last update. In fact, it's been so long that you may want to go back and read chapter seven! I just have no time to write anymore. You know what they say; Junior year's the hardest one. Anyways, as a special treat, this is my longest chapter yet; double the normal wordcount at a whopping 2,352! Enjoy!**

**I'm really sorry about the hiatus, guys. I'm sure you've all been dying to know what happened to Abe, huh? Well, I've got all that and more in store for chapters eight and nine, so please don't be too mad at me. Anyways, here's chapter eight of **_**A Monstrous Alliance**_**.**

**EDIT: Special thanks go out to onewithnothing for pointing out a rule violation at the end of the chapter; this user has probably just saved my ass, as well as our beloved story. The violation was a fairly minor one, and this edit will not change the flow of the story in any way. Thank you for your time. **

_

* * *

_

Oh, no.

_I know this scenario. This is just how the Doc's flashback started. They're about to do horrible things to me, and there's probably not a thing I can do to stop them, either._

_Well, at least I can rest assured in the knowledge that they won't kill me… at least, not intentionally. There was a lot of blood in that flashback._

_…As Hellboy would put it: I'm screwed._

The lights came on overhead, and out of an insatiable, morbid curiosity, Abe opened his eyes. There didn't appear to be anyone in the room, but then again, he couldn't see much from just lying on his back. Nothing felt broken, so he risked sitting up. His ribs were a little bruised, but other than that he was fine. He waited with baited breath for something to happen.

…It didn't. The _Icthio Sapien_ sat where he was for another twenty minutes or so, not daring to move a muscle. Finally, restlessness and anxiety drove him to explore his surroundings. He wasn't in an operating room as he'd first feared. He couldn't really be sure of where he was, but that much was certain. He was in a plain, white room, with seemingly nothing in it. He was all alone, in an empty room.

This did nothing to soothe his unease; in fact, it probably heightened it. Anything could happen at this point, and he didn't want to be caught off guard.

Abe slowly made his way around the room, sticking close to the walls, trailing one webbed hand across the smooth surface in hopes of discovering something about the room's history that might give him a clue to his own unpromising future. To his surprise, he sensed nothing. Surely a room that had seen unimaginable horrors must tell him something, right? He could only guess that this was a new room entirely, that had, he feared, been saved exclusively for him.

After making his way around the room three or four times, he sat down in the middle of the floor and sighed in defeat. That's when a small slit opened up in the floor.

From the slit rose a slender tube, that extended itself horizontally until it became a holographic video screen. Abe looked up at it, eyeing it warily.

The screen wavered a bit before displaying the same scene as in the Doctor's flashback; a silhouetted figure, sitting at a simple desk, with no landmarks to give Abe any hint as to where this man was. The man spoke in a deep voice, dripping with malice.

"Abraham Sapien."

It was a different voice than he remembered the shadowy man having. It seemed to be somehow… younger? But Abe didn't dwell on that.

"Yes, that is my name. However, pleasantries are usually reserved for situations a bit more… pleasant. We both know you're about to do something ghastly to me. The others have told us newcomers everything."

"Is that so?" said the unknown man. "Then you should know what I'm about to do next."

"Every time is different, apparently. Enlighten me."

"You've got a lot of cheek, Sapien. But despite your attitude and your sophisticated command of the English language, you're still just a blue, slimy beast."

This really ticked off the mild-mannered _Icthio Sapien_. He knew the situation wouldn't end well for him anyway, so he replied with the unthinkable.

"So's your mother."

* * *

Liz paced the common room nervously, waiting for Manning and Monger to show up. She was really worried about her blue friend; in the time she'd known him, he'd become almost like an older brother to her. She couldn't stand to think that somewhere, in some unknown location, a shadowy man was having his goons hurt him and experiment on him.

"So, where's M&Ms?" Link asked the room at large.

"M&Ms? You are sinking off candy at a time like zis?" Johann puzzled at the fish-ape's peculiar statement.

"Manning and Monger; they both start with the letter 'm'. M&Ms is just faster than saying their names," he explained. This earned him a look from Susan, who said,

"Link, I think you hit your head a little harder than we thought. Are you sure you won't let Dr. C check you out and make sure you're okay?"

"I'm telling you guys, I'm fine. I get hit in the head all the time."

"It shows," muttered the bug-headed doctor, still annoyed that his friend wouldn't accept his help.

"Either way, it's taking a long time for them to show up," Liz said, her forehead wrinkling in frustration. "We did call Manning's cell phone, right?"

"Of course we did, unless we got the wrong number," said the Doc.

"I should hope it's the right number! After all, I prank call it enough," Red grinned mischievously.

Liz whirled around and snapped at the demon before her.

"How the _hell_ can you be cracking jokes when your best friend is off being tortured somewhere? Do you have any sense of how serious this situation is, Hellboy? Do you?"

"Of _course_ I know how serious this is babe, and I'm probably more worried about Abe than anyone here!" he roared, "But instead of panicking and worrying about a situation I _can't do anything about_, I'm trying to KEEP MY COOL!"

"Hellboy's right, you guys. We can't do anything about it, so we should just sit back and hope for the best. Worrying won't fix it, and neither will fighting amongst ourselves," Susan said calmly. "We should wait for Manning and Monger, hear what they've found out, and go on from there."

After a tense moment, everyone grumbled and agreed that she was right.

* * *

Monger was practically sprinting through the facility, and though he hated to admit it, Manning was having a hard time keeping up. _This guy's like, ninety-something! How the hell does he run so fast?_ he thought, gasping for breath.

As soon as they'd left Dr. Ellington's office, Manning's phone had beeped and alerted him that he had one missed call. He had immediately checked the voicemail, only to find out that Abe had apparently been sucked down a hole in the floor of the tank.

Monger charged ahead, seemingly unaware of where he was going. He knocked over four soldiers in his mad dash, and would have continued on and left Manning in the dust, had he not tripped over something at about waist height.

The thing Monger had tripped over was a very short person in a red cloak that covered their face. By the build, Monger could tell he was male. The cloaked man picked himself up off the ground, gave a squeal of shock and terror when he saw who it was that had crashed into him, and sprinted away, haphazardly, in a random direction.

Manning came jogging up, gasping like a fat man who had tried to climb forty flights of stairs. The general was dusting himself off as the director asked,

"Who was that?"

"I dunno. I thought he was with you," came the reply.

"No…"

The two men exchanged a glance that said what they were both thinking.

"Shit."

They raced off in hot pursuit of the mystery cloak.

Monger and Manning finally caught up with him ten minutes later, when he ran into a dead end near the hangar. His only options were let himself be caught, or hide in the broom closet. In desperation, he tried the door of the closet, only to find it locked. His pursuers rounded the corner and left him trapped.

"Just a minute now, bucko. Who are you, and why are you snooping around?" Manning demanded.

The cloaked man gave a sort of whimper, then a cough, and melted into a puddle on the ground.

"What. The. _Fuck_," sighed the general. The puddle evaporated off the floor quickly, leaving nothing behind.

"…Well, I guess we should go and report back to the monsters," said Manning.

"Well, I guess we should go and report back to the monsters," Monger mimicked in a high pitched, mocking voice. He rolled his eyes and began sprinting for the common room once more.

* * *

"That's it, you sniveling whelp of a creature! I was going to be nice, since this is our first date, and only mess with that unique, monster mind of yours. But since you insist on being difficult…"

_Why did I do that? That was incredibly stupid, _thought the _Icthio Sapien_.

"You have a friend, don't you? A very good friend of yours, a fire-starter…"

_Liz!_ he thought in a panic.

"You can wipe that look off your face, I'm not going to do anything to her. Not yet, anyways. I was just wondering… since you're such good friends with a fire-starter, just how much heat can you handle?"

The man laughed darkly as the screen retracted back into the floor.

_This cannot _possibly_ end well for me…_

A glass dome rose out of the floor, trapping the fish-man. Overhead, a sprinkler system came on and began to spray a slightly yellow liquid. After the room had been completely coated in the stuff, the glass dome retracted again.

_It can't be acid, if he protected me with that dome. But what could it- _that's when the smell hit him. His eyes widened in fear.

_Kerosene._

So that was it then. The shadowy man was going to set the entire room on fire, and see how long it would be before his vitals lowered to just above surviving. Just as he suspected, a horizontal slit opened in the far wall, just above the floor, and a wide jet of flame shot from it and engulfed the room in fire. Vents opened just below the ceiling for the little bit of smoke to escape, but they did nothing to ease the blistering heat wave that the fire produced. Abe was sure he would be cooked alive.

Looking at the fire all around him, he swore he could see Nuala's face lurking amongst the deadly tongues. In the back of his mind, he swore that Johnny Cash's _Ring of Fire_ began to play. _How ironic,_ he thought bitterly.

In an attempt to last longer, hopefully until his friends could find him, he curled up in a ball; with any luck he could use the rest of his body to shield his vital organs, and keep them at a cool enough temperature that they wouldn't fail. He stayed in that position until he couldn't take it anymore.

Even when he felt he was about to die, he couldn't stop thinking about her. When he couldn't take any more of the heat, he passed out. Eventually, the fire died out. He was still in that position even when a tube snaked down from the ceiling, sucked him up into it, and deposited him back in his tank half an hour later. Had anyone been there to check, they would've thought him dead; he was burnt a little crispy, and did not appear to be breathing.

* * *

Finally, the large blast doors opened to reveal the two men that the monsters had been waiting for. Manning and Monger walked into the room panting, as though they had done a lot of running.

"Pull up a chair, monsters, there's a lot we've got to tell ya," said the general.

The general didn't get to that, however, because just then a splash was heard from Link's shared cell. Nobody dared breathe.

"…Could he be back?" Liz asked, not daring to be hopeful.

"Ve should go und see," Johann replied, starting for the cell. Everyone followed him through to the water-filled room. Nobody saw anything, which confused them greatly.

"Maybe he's in the tank. I'll go check," Link offered, diving in before anyone could object.

The sight he was met with was somewhat gruesome. Lying there, curled up in a ball at the bottom of the tank, was Abe. His skin was cracked and peeling, the edges blackened. In some places, his wetsuit seemed to have melted to his body. He didn't appear to be breathing, which scared Link until he got right up close, and could feel a week current as water was slowly drawn into the other man's gills.

More worried about leaving Abe at the bottom of the tank than of doing further damage, Link gingerly grabbed a sizeable part of his wetsuit that hadn't melted and pulled him slowly to the surface. _If you make it through this, blue boy, I'll forgive you for everything, _Link thought, bargaining with his unconscious friend. He clamored out of the tank, then pulled the _Icthio Sapien_ up as well. Everyone stared in shock at the severely burned fish-man in front of them.

"What now?" Link asked forlornly.

**

* * *

**

A/N: Abe's in pretty bad shape… who knows if he'll survive? Just who was that cloaked man who melted when M&Ms cornered him? Why did the shadowy man sound younger than he did in the flashback, fifty years ago? Tune in next time for chapter nine of…

_**A MONSTROUS ALLIANCE**_**!**


	9. Red Snaps

**A/N: To all of my friends and readers who have waited so patiently: I'm sorry for the long period of inactivity. A lot of things can happen in a year… I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues, to include my brother being hospitalized and my sister being diagnosed with a severe mental illness. **

**Also, there was a long stretch of time in which I simply lost interest in this story. I barely even remember where I was going with this, so I can only hope my new ideas will live up to the older parts of the story. **

**I'm very flattered that so many of you are enjoying it, but I write primarily for myself; angry messages about how I'm a horrible person for not updating do not help, and actually make me not want to post anything. For any of you who can be bothered in checking, I also have other stories I'm working on, both for and for my own potential career. Combine that with the fact that I'm still in high school _and_ trying to figure out where I'm going to live and how the fuck I'm going to pay for college, and y'all can just piss off. For those who have been nothing but kind, I apologize for my harsh words. The rest of you can die in a hole. Have a nice day! :D**

* * *

"What now?"

"We get him down to medical immediately, that's what," said Monger, taking command of the situation.

"I'll send for a gurney," Manning added, leaving the room as quickly as he had entered.

B.O.B., in all of his childishness, murmured, "Gee, I guess he's not very good at the Stop, Drop, and Roll game."

Everyone stood at a loss for words, caused by his unintentional cruelty. Link bobbed along at the edge of the tank, holding the other man submerged just enough to keep the water flowing past his gills until Manning returned with two med techs and the promised gurney. They gingerly wrapped the _Icthio Sapien_ in a wet sheet, to keep him moist during the transition, and sped him off to the special care ward as fast as they could. Even after the med techs left, it was some time before anyone spoke.

Monger finally broke the silence.

"So… I bet you all are wondering what kept us so long," he began hesitantly.

After another awkward silence, the Doc asked, "Did you manage to find out anything?"

"Well, Monger blew up at some douche bag in the science department, but they didn't know anything," said Manning. It hadn't seemed possible, but morale in the room dropped even lower.

"However," he continued, "we did run into something… weird." Everyone's spirits picked up again immediately.

"I tripped over this freaky little guy in a red hood, and he got up and ran like the Devil himself was after him. We chased him for a while until we cornered him, and then he just melted into a puddle and turned to smoke!" Monger stated with agitation.

Nobody knew what to make of this.

"I bet Abe would have some ideas, as much as he reads…" said Hellboy dejectedly. Liz came up and put her arm around him, knowing words would not help the situation. All eyes turned to Dr. Cockroach.

"Well, don't look at _me_. This is the first I've heard of it, too."

After another moment, Johann spoke up.

"I chust might know somesing about zis." Everyone's attention shifted to the Austrian.

"You say he melted, zen turned to smoke?" he asked his supervisors.

"_Schluuurp_, poof! Gone, just like that!" Manning confirmed.

"Some of ze darker spirits I haf faced could take on a physical form… ven zey vere ready to leave, zat's pretty much how zey vould go about it, assuming off course zey veren't forced."

"So you're saying some kind of dark spirit is wandering about now, too?" said Susan, clearly in distress.

"This is just what we need. First some sadistic bastard behind a TV screen, and now this. Ter-frigging-rific," Hellboy growled, a dangerous look in his eye.

"Vell, I can't say for sure, but zat's certainly vhat it is sounding like."

"Wait… you mean like…" B.O.B. gulped. "Ghosts?"

"Ja."

This set the gooey creature off. He sped around the room frantically, screaming and begging the ghosts not to hurt him. Soon enough, Hellboy's last nerve snapped and he kicked B.O.B. halfway across the room.

"That's ENOUGH!" the demon bellowed, echoing through the crowded cell, "Since I've got here, I've been trying to be nice to you, and put up with your sheer _stupidity_, but I've had it up to _here_," he emphasized his point by holding his hand way above his head. "This is _serious_, you retarded pile of Smurf cum! Can you stop acting like an _idiot_ for even a _moment_, and look at the situation! A man who I consider to be my brother and only family is _dying_, alone in a government prison, there's a guy God only knows where trying to hurt us as badly as his sick little mind can fathom, and you're in here, SCREAMING YOUR GODDAMN HEAD OFF BECAUSE OF SOME BITCH-ASS LITTLE GHOST WHO POOFS AWAY WHEN HE'S CORNERED BY A PAIR OF GOVERNMENT BOZOES! NOW DO YOU SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL DO!"

Hellboy was panting heavily by the time he'd finished; he'd barely paused for breath. B.O.B. sat cowering before the enraged demon before him. Nobody said a word. For the first time since the Professor died, Hellboy broke down and began to cry and hated himself for the display of vulnerability. He stood there, shaking from the painful combination of fury and suppressed sobs, trying to compose himself; like any sensible person, he would rather be pissed than depressed. Finding he could not hold back and spare himself the indignity of public tears, he turned and stomped out of the room.

His parting words were, "Maybe I'm better off alone. People I care about don't seem to last long."

They all looked after him, but perhaps none so shocked or hurt as Elizabeth Sherman.

* * *

**A/N: A lot of drama in this chapter, I know, and not a lot of plot development. I'm trying to get a feel for the story again and redirect the fragments of previous ideas I've had into something coherent. This chapter is a little short because of that. As usual, I apologize for any typos; I do most of my writing when I'm hella tired but just can't sleep.**

**And before I get a bunch of hatemail, I realize that Red's somewhat out of character here. Calm your tits, folks, because I do have a reason for it and I think you'll all like the result. If not, then… I don't know, dump a bucket of eels down your pants.**

**Love to all. ~Virdi.**


End file.
